13. The truth, part I

Pony's POV

This was too much for Claudia.

She cried out and insulted the Socs again, "Ya damned Socs. Leave him finally alone! Quit threatenin' him and stop opressin' his life unnecessarily than it already is without ya!
Let finally rest the thing with Bob and Johnny. Forget ya hatred and ya revenge.
Must there perhaps still be more bloodshed, more than it already was, so that ya finally realize that it's wrong, what you're doin' there?
Even if you're richer, it is no reason at all to go around and jump greasers! Ya don't have no right for that!
And even though greasers are poorer than you are, they still have somethin' ya don't have: friendship and cohesion!
Greasers would fight for their friends and some even die for 'em, as Dally. They would stick together and defend the others.
A Soc wouldn't never ever defend another one. He would only help himself, but never another one. They only fight for themselves and only see themselves, too.
In addition they don't care 'bout no one. They don't care 'bout others, even if they would tell somethin' different to their 'friends'.
But the truth's that they only see themselves and no one else.
And there ya whole money is no use! Ya maybe can really buy expensive cars and other expensive things with it, but ya can't buy true friendship with money!
To tell the truth, all Socs are just spoilt, little, lonely and scared young ones, who only hide behind their cars and money.
And they only feel powerful, when they can beat up greasers, otherwise they're simply nothin'!
The true reason, why the Socs jump greasers, is that Socs are jealous of greasers, 'cause Socs think that greasers simply are freer than Socs, since they wouldn't have so much duties and they're really richer in a way!
And Socs are just afraid that somebody - above all greasers - could find it out; that they could find out the truth 'bout the Socs one day. And Socs are behind greasers that bad for that reason.
They wanna scare 'em and show 'em their power - which they actually don't have - and to cover their own fear."

And this time the Socs didn't seem to ignore Claudia's words that easy, because the Soc with the blade growled and narrowed his eyes furiously.
But I could read slight horror in the face of the Soc.

And I guessed that Claudia has hit a weak spot with her words.
Probably exactly that spot she would hit!

And I realized that Claudia even was right with her words!
It was exactly that what constituted Socs, what they really think about us greasers and themselves.
And now Claudia has found out this secret and told them straight into their faces!

If this doesn't involve something really bad..., I thought and scolded Claudia mentally for it that she has set herself now on the black list of the Socs with that and exposed herself to danger unnecessarily.

But before someone could do something, Claudia continued.
I noticed from the corner of my eyes that she rushed to the Soc with the blade.

It seemed to me as if everything would pass off in slow motion.

The Soc, who was attacked by Claudia, fell to the ground.
There he dropped his blade down with shock. But he sliced my arm, which I lifted protectively in front of my face, with that.
I was free again, because the other both Socs, who seized me, suddenly let me go and would help their friend to get up.

I winced, when the sharp blade cut into my skin.
Then I got hit by an elbow of one of the both Socs against my forehead, when they rushed to their friend at the ground.

I tilted forward because of that blow.
I spread out my arms intuitively to extenuate the impact a little, but I directly fell onto my hurt arm.
I swore quietly with gritted teeth, held my slightly bleeding arm and looked up.

There I just got, as the two Socs helped their friend getting up, while staring at me somehow strangely.
Was there perhaps also a sign of fear in their faces, perhaps fear of me?
I didn't know!

And there the 3 Socs fled head over heels and left me here behind, bewildered.
I groaned and closed my eyes, because a splitting headache was coming over me, which probably came from the Soc hitting my head.

Ya apparently can't lump all Socs together, 'cause ya theory with the Socs doesn't seem to be quite right, Claudia, I thought.

And there Claudia came to my mind again.
At first I whispered her name, but couldn't open my eyes, because my head was hurting so much and everything was spinning.
But I didn't get an answer.
I repeated her name again and again, but I just didn't get any reply.
And slowly I panicked.

Did the Socs perhaps have done something to her?

I tried to open my eyes and ignored the dizziness I felt.
But I couldn't recognize nothing. Everything was blurry.

And so I couldn't detect, if Claudia was still around or not and in which condition she was.
I had to close my eyes again, because my headache got worse.

Suddenly I heard footsteps and I feared that the Socs would have been returned.

But there I heard my name and recognized the voices right away: Darry and Soda and very likely also Two-Bit and Steve.
They searched for me!
I hadn't the needful strength to call their attention to me, but they found me anyhow.

I sensed someone kneeling next to me and shaking me slightly.
On my other side I heard Darry saying my name.

I knew right away that it had to be Soda shaking me.
Anyhow, I would be sure and asked quietly, "Soda? Is that ya?"

"Yeah, baby, it's me."

"Are ya all right, Ponyboy?" Darry asked me right away.

I was glad that Darry didn't ask what happened.
He seemed to know that already.
And I was also glad that he didn't reproach me again for that.

Is it my fault when the Socs enjoy jumping me?
I guess that you can't reproach me for it!

Anyhow, I nodded as an answer and opened my eyes again.
And this time my headache wasn't so strong any more.
I tried to smile, what didn't work that great.